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Latest News from China - 08/21/2003
(Clearwisdom.net) 1. [Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province] Falun Gong Practitioner Qi Xiuzhen Dies as a Result of
Persecution Ms. Qi Xiuzhen was 56 years old. After she starting practicing Falun Gong in 1997, all her
illnesses disappeared. While on her way to Beijing in 1999 to validate Falun Dafa she was abducted
and illegally held in the Jiamusi Detention Center for two and a half months. During her detention,
officers from the Yonghong Division of the Police Department interrogated her numerous times
attempting to coerce her into giving up the practice of Falun Gong. She held firm to her belief and
rejected the police officers' demands to write guarantee statements renouncing Falun Gong. The living conditions were extremely harsh in the detention center. The wood plank bed was cold
and damp, and Ms. Qi slept next to the toilet. She could not sleep at night as the police officers
were yelling and cursing around the clock. Her family felt they could not leave her in such
conditions. Her family was forced to pay several thousand Yuan* to the police before Ms. Qi was
released. Worrying about her ending up in the detention center again, Ms. Qi's family prevented her
from practicing Falun Gong or associating with other Falun Gong practitioners. Ms. Qi's became sick
after this severe persecution, and died at the beginning of 2001. * Yuan is the Chinese currency. 500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in
China. 2. [Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Ma Xuejun Illegally Sentenced to
12 Years in Prison after Suffering from Spinal Fracture Due to Police Brutality Mr. Ma Xuejun was arrested on December 12, 2002. Officers at the Jiamusi Police Department used
all the brutal devices they had to torture Mr. Ma, and even broke his spine. After eight months of
custody in the detention center, Mr. Ma still could not walk. However, he was sentenced to twelve
years in prison and transferred to the Xianglan Prison in August. 3. [Liaoning Province] Zhang Jie and Her Daughter Cui Xuejun are Being Held and Persecuted in the
Shenyang Women's Prison Zhang Jie and her daughter Cui Xuejun are Falun Dafa practitioners in Fushun City, Liaoning
Province. They were forced to leave their home and had nowhere to live after clarifying the truth
about Falun Gong. They were arrested in January 2002 and sent to the Shenyang Women's Prison at the
end of the year. They were inhumanely abused and tortured everyday in prison. Since the outbreak of
the SARS epidemic in April, the police have prohibited visits from family members. No clothes or
other necessities could be sent in. Ms. Zhang's family has heard no word about her since their last
visit in March, when she appeared to be quite emaciated. It was also apparent that her mind was not
clear as a result of the persecution in prison. No details on her current condition are available. 4. [Tieling City, Liaoning Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Wang Ling Illegally Arrested Again Ms. Wang Ling is in her 50's. She was arrested in November 2000. She refused to give up
practicing Falun Gong, and was sentenced to two years of forced labor and thrown into the Masanjia
Forced Labor Camp. Ms. Wang held firm to her belief in Falun Dafa despite being brutally tortured in
the labor camp. Her term was extended for seven months. On June 6, 2003, she walked out of the
Masanjia Labor Camp with righteous thoughts in mind. After leaving, she went to Longshou Mountain to
tell tourists the facts about Falun Gong and expose the persecution in the Masanjia Forced Labor
Camp. She was arrested again in early July. Her whereabouts is currently unknown. 5. [Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province] Members of "610 Office" Coerce the Daqing
Petroleum Station to Conduct Brainwashing Sessions Members of the "610 Office"* in the Daqing oil fields coerced the Daqing Petroleum
Station to hold brainwashing sessions. On August 22, Falun Dafa practitioners were forced to write
"three statements" renouncing Falun Gong. If practitioners refuse to do this, their family
members have to write the statements on their behalf under the threat of their loved ones being
forcibly taken to the brainwashing classes. * "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute
power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems. 6. [Hefei City, Anhui Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Ji Guangjie Arrested by Local Police Mr. Ji Guangjie and Mr. Wang Yu were arrested on July 20 and July 16, respectively, by the police
in Hefei City, Anhui Province while they were out bicycling. Mr. Ji was sent to the No. 2 Detention
Center in Hefei City after a week of secret custody and interrogation. Mr. Wang is undergoing
brainwashing from former Falun Gong practitioners who have enlightened along the evil path. Recently the evil forces have destroyed sites where Falun Gong materials are kept. Equipment and
material losses at these sites have totaled about 50,000 Yuan. 7. [Kangping County, Liaoning Province] Police Arrest Two Falun Dafa Practitioners Tearing Off
Slanderous Slogans Early in the morning on August 3, while Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Qi Like was tearing down
slogans that defamed Falun Dafa and its founder, he was illegally arrested by police officers who
had staked out the site from a nearby location. On the afternoon of August 6, Falun Dafa
practitioner Mr. Yang Ping was also arrested this way. The officers were from the Zhenbei Police
Station in Kangping County. They later searched the homes of the two practitioners. Mr. Yang Ping
was brutally beaten up on the street in broad daylight. Both practitioners are being held at the
detention center of the Kangping County Police Department. Those who are responsible for the persecution include: Zhenbei Police Station, Kangping County, Liaoning Province, ZIP 110500, telephone number:
86-24-87343603. 8. [Kangping County, Liaoning Province] Falun Dafa Practitioner Yang Guohong Arrested by Police On August 15, informants called the Haoguan Township Police Station in Kangping County, and the
police arrested Yang Guohong. Yang was under suspicion of setting up miniature speakers that
broadcast the facts about Falun Gong. Those who are responsible for the persecution are: Fan Jiwei, Head of the Haoguan Township Police Station in Kangping County; telephone number:
86-24-87340152. 9. [Beijing] Falun Dafa Practitioner Liu Zhenfang Illegally Arrested by Police at Fangzhuang
Residential Complex in Fengtai Ms. Liu Zhenfang is in her fifties. Informants notified the police while she was distributing
Falun Gong truth clarifying materials near the Fangzhuang residential complex in Fengtai area. Ms.
Liu was illegally arrested and her whereabouts are unknown. Her home phone number is 86-10-67673930. 10. [Chengde City, Hebei Province] Police Arrest Falun Dafa Practitioners from Pingquan County,
Including Meng Zhaorong, Gong Xiaomin, Zhao Cuiying, Yao Fengzhuo In mid-August 2003, Ms. Meng Zhaorong, Ms. Gong Xiaomin, Ms. Zhao Cuiying, Ms. Yao Fengzhuo, and
other Falun Dafa practitioners went to Guozhangzi Township in Chengde County to distribute materials
presenting the facts about Falun Gong. Officers from the Shanggu Police Station arrested them. The
police also seized a car and over 2,000 Yuan in cash from the practitioners. The practitioners are
being held in the Xiabancheng Detention Center. Telephone number for the Xiabancheng Detention Center: 86-314-3111733. 11. [Daqing, Heilongjiang Province] Members of "610 Office" at No. 1 Drilling Company
of Daqing Petroleum Administration Harass Falun Dafa Practitioners Members of the "610 Office" at the No. 1 Drilling Company of Daqing Petroleum
Administration have been harassing Falun Dafa practitioners, including those whose employment has
been terminated. They often barge into practitioners' homes or initiate excessive phone calls. If a
practitioner refuses to write statements guaranteeing that they will renounce Falun Gong, they will
threaten to abduct the practitioner and force them to attend brainwashing classes. Falun Dafa
practitioners live under constant harassment. Individuals who are responsible for the harassment and persecution are: Sui Dongzhang, Party secretary of the No.1 Drilling Company, telephone numbers: 86-459-5685111
(office), 86-459-5106839 (home). 12. [Shenyang County, Liaoning Province] Authorities Enforce Regulation that Everyone Must Access
Internet with True Identity The regulation of access to the Internet based on one's true identity has been implemented in
Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. In addition, when anyone tries to access overseas web sites, such
as ziplip.com or mail.com, the web browser will close immediately. August 20, 2003 Posting date: 9/2/2003 |